Introduction
The Ministry of Education is training 76000 Primary and Secondary School teachers in the use of computers. By the end of 2003, approximately half of the total number of the teachers in Greek schools will be, for the first time, officially certified computer literate. The training is provided in 2200 Centers by 5500 Trainers (rounded figures) both specially certified for this particular purpose by the Pedagogical Institute and the Research Academic Computer Technology Institute. The training takes place in the teachers’ free time. There are Training Centers both in the state and private sectors. The trainees are free to choose the Center, the time and the trainer of their preference. The vast majority has chosen the state sector. Two 12-hour daytime Help Desks support the trainees.

The project’s ID

Curriculum
The training program covers the basics in information technology, word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint, Internet and offers an overview of educational software.It gives the teachers the opportunity to get acquainted with ICT and use it productively to improve their teaching methods, to be able to search for new sources of knowledge, and participate in new educational communities for professional development. It is a 48-hour program, in groups of 10 trainees, spread over 8 consecutive weeks in two 3-hour sessions per week. The trainees are provided with educational material for home practice. They are also partly funded, with close to 600 euros, for the purchase or updating of home computers.

Basic Structure

Procedure
The Central Management Committee at the Ministry announces the dates and sends out the call for participation. The Training Centers submit to the Local Training Committees their timetable of the standardized course(s) they offer. The Local Training Committees inform the schools. The teachers apply at the school level. The applications are processed by the Local Training Committees. The places are allotted by computerized draw. At the end of the course the teachers who have attended at least 90% of the training course are issued a certificate of attendance and are given half of the 600-euro funding. When the teachers feel they are ready for certification they sit an on-line 3-hour test. They can sit it a maximum of 3 times. On certification they receive the second half of the 600-euro funding. The Research Academic Computer Technology Institute is responsible for the certification scheme. It has also developed a Management Information System (MIS) to completely digitalize the project.The Pedagogical Institute is responsible for processing the applications to become Training Centers, Trainers, and Local Training Committee members.

The Course

Structure of the project (Image)